When I started working on this project with BEAT Eating Disorders UK and EDIFY at the University of Nottingham, I had no idea just how much it would come to mean to me — both professionally and personally.

We set out with a clear mission: to create content and social media guidelines that help people navigate eating disorder-related content online in a healthier, more conscious way. Whether you’re someone scrolling through recovery content on TikTok late at night, or a creator regularly posting about food, fitness, or body image, the online space around these topics can be both incredibly helpful and incredibly harmful — often at the same time.

Leading With Lived Experience

As someone who’s three years into recovery, this project hit home in a way I wasn’t fully prepared for. At first, I’ll be honest — I felt slightly out of my depth. This was bigger than anything I’d led before: a cross-organisational collaboration with a sensitive subject at its core, involving real people’s real experiences.

But it was also one of the most meaningful things I’ve ever done.

I led a team of eight amazing creatives and contributors, all bringing different perspectives, skill sets, and lived experiences to the table. Our goal wasn’t just to throw out rules or dos and don’ts — it was to open up a conversation around how we can make the online space more thoughtful, more supportive, and less triggering for people at all stages of their relationship with food and their bodies.

And in doing that, we had a lot of powerful conversations ourselves.

We shared our own stories — the messy parts, the progress, the doubts, and the moments of clarity. And it reminded me just how important it is to bring real people into conversations about digital wellbeing. Because behind every post, like, and comment is someone navigating their own world.

What We Created

The final output was a series of social content assets and messaging frameworks designed for:

• Viewers of ED-related content: to help them reflect on what they’re consuming, how it makes them feel, and when it might be time to step back or seek help.
• Creators and influencers: to offer guidance around posting responsibly, including language use, trigger warnings, disclaimers, and the subtle signals we may not even realise we’re sending.

The content was shaped by research, lived experience, and expert insight from BEAT and EDIFY, who brought such care, nuance, and expertise to every step.

This wasn’t about censorship — it was about compassionate, informed, and intentional communication.

What I Learned

I came away from this project with new skills and deeper self-awareness:

• 💬 Health communication: how to present difficult topics in a way that’s accessible, clear, and safe.
• 🧩 Collaborative leadership: leading a team with empathy, flexibility, and a shared sense of purpose.
• 🎯 Mission-driven content creation: crafting content that has real impact, not just likes.
• 💡 Self-trust: learning to trust my own voice, not in spite of my past, but because of it.

Most of all, I learned how powerful it is to take something that once made you feel isolated, and use it to build community, connection, and change.

Why This Matters

We’re in an era where social media often shapes the way we see ourselves — our bodies, our worth, our progress. And while online platforms can be a lifeline in recovery, they can also be full of subtle triggers and overwhelming comparisons.

If we can create even a small shift in how we approach content around eating disorders, fitness, food, and recovery, then it’s a shift worth working for.

Because ultimately, everyone deserves to feel safe and seen online.

If you’re a creator, I encourage you to reflect on the influence your words and images can have — and know that your impact can be powerful in all the right ways.

If you’re someone in recovery (or even just figuring things out): I see you. I’ve been you. And you’re doing so much better than you think.

This project reminded me that healing isn’t just about what’s happening privately — it’s also about how we show up publicly, and how we shape the spaces we exist in.

Thank you to everyone involved. This was a special one.

With love, always,
El x